Narrative:

I was captain on the first leg of the second round trip to which I was assigned on this day. This flight operates between reading, PA and pittsburg, PA with the return flight stopping at lancaster, PA. There were numerous thunderstorms throughout the day with lines building and the accompanying severe WX associated with this type of system. Prior to engine start, I called for clearance and was told to expect an indefinite delay because new york could not accept us. The controller offered to try to work a clearance through local control to pittsburg with an 8000' altitude. I told him we would accept the clearance only if the local controllers would allow me the necessary deviations to avoid any thunderstorms en route. He assured us that they would accommodate our request and issued the clearance as follows: cleared to pittsburg as filed, climb and maintain 8000', departure control on 125.15 and squawk XXXX. Both the first officer and I noted that it was unusual that they cleared us up to 8000' since normally on the center clearance we usually stop at 4000'. We did not question the clearance since we felt it might be a feature of local control clrncs which we never have occasion to use. Also, the controllers were in a foul mood and questioning their accuracy would be tantamount to an orchestrated scheme by the pilots to further antagonize them. After takeoff we proceeded to climb to 8000' and passing 4600' departure control issued us clearance to descend immediately to 4000' accompanying the message with a preachment that we were never cleared above 4000'. We descended immediately and both the first officer and I concurred that we were never issued nor did we accept anything but the initial 8000' altitude. Later that day, the first officer and I decided to call reading departure and discuss the situation. When they finally admitted that the only time they issued the 4000' altitude clearance was when we were passing 4600' they told us that we should have known better since we fly into reading regularly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MDT RECEIVES CLRNC PRIOR TO ENGINE START 'CLEARED AS FILED, CLIMB MAINTAIN 8000'. AFTER TKOF, CLIMBING THROUGH 4600, THE DEP CTLR QUERIES ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: I WAS CAPT ON THE FIRST LEG OF THE SECOND ROUND TRIP TO WHICH I WAS ASSIGNED ON THIS DAY. THIS FLT OPERATES BETWEEN READING, PA AND PITTSBURG, PA WITH THE RETURN FLT STOPPING AT LANCASTER, PA. THERE WERE NUMEROUS TSTMS THROUGHOUT THE DAY WITH LINES BUILDING AND THE ACCOMPANYING SEVERE WX ASSOCIATED WITH THIS TYPE OF SYSTEM. PRIOR TO ENGINE START, I CALLED FOR CLRNC AND WAS TOLD TO EXPECT AN INDEFINITE DELAY BECAUSE NEW YORK COULD NOT ACCEPT US. THE CTLR OFFERED TO TRY TO WORK A CLRNC THROUGH LCL CTL TO PITTSBURG WITH AN 8000' ALT. I TOLD HIM WE WOULD ACCEPT THE CLRNC ONLY IF THE LCL CTLRS WOULD ALLOW ME THE NECESSARY DEVIATIONS TO AVOID ANY TSTMS ENRTE. HE ASSURED US THAT THEY WOULD ACCOMMODATE OUR REQUEST AND ISSUED THE CLRNC AS FOLLOWS: CLRED TO PITTSBURG AS FILED, CLIMB AND MAINTAIN 8000', DEP CTL ON 125.15 AND SQUAWK XXXX. BOTH THE F/O AND I NOTED THAT IT WAS UNUSUAL THAT THEY CLRED US UP TO 8000' SINCE NORMALLY ON THE CENTER CLRNC WE USUALLY STOP AT 4000'. WE DID NOT QUESTION THE CLRNC SINCE WE FELT IT MIGHT BE A FEATURE OF LCL CTL CLRNCS WHICH WE NEVER HAVE OCCASION TO USE. ALSO, THE CTLRS WERE IN A FOUL MOOD AND QUESTIONING THEIR ACCURACY WOULD BE TANTAMOUNT TO AN ORCHESTRATED SCHEME BY THE PLTS TO FURTHER ANTAGONIZE THEM. AFTER TKOF WE PROCEEDED TO CLIMB TO 8000' AND PASSING 4600' DEP CTL ISSUED US CLRNC TO DSND IMMEDIATELY TO 4000' ACCOMPANYING THE MESSAGE WITH A PREACHMENT THAT WE WERE NEVER CLRED ABOVE 4000'. WE DESCENDED IMMEDIATELY AND BOTH THE F/O AND I CONCURRED THAT WE WERE NEVER ISSUED NOR DID WE ACCEPT ANYTHING BUT THE INITIAL 8000' ALT. LATER THAT DAY, THE F/O AND I DECIDED TO CALL READING DEP AND DISCUSS THE SITUATION. WHEN THEY FINALLY ADMITTED THAT THE ONLY TIME THEY ISSUED THE 4000' ALT CLRNC WAS WHEN WE WERE PASSING 4600' THEY TOLD US THAT WE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER SINCE WE FLY INTO READING REGULARLY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.